How Will We Know If We Just Don't Try?
by pen.paper.green.day
Summary: Mary and Marshall have two new witnesses. But can they keep them safe? I freaking hate summaries. Anyway, Mary/Marshall fluff, and there's a wee bit of drama. I don't own anything.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, peoples! This is the multi-chapter I mentioned before. I don't know how many chapters it will be, but so far I have written almost 5. But, I will not post the next chapter until I get at least 2 reviews. So, review if you want more. Enjoy!**

**Three Months Ago**

"Christ Stan, calm down. What's the big deal about these witnesses?" Mary asked, a little amused at the boss-man's expression.

"Well, I don't know Mary. Tell me something. Did you watch the news last night?" Stan asked, all-business.

"No, I got home late last night, moving a witness. Marshall was with me."

"Yeah, I was. It was pretty late, Stan." Marshall said, backing his partner up.

"Well then I guess neither of you saw that Senator Steve Grimes was killed yesterday, did you?"

Mary, who didn't know who the hell Steve Grimes was, had no real reaction. Marshall on the other hand, was shocked.

"Senator Grimes? The one from California with all that controversy?"

"Yeah, him. He was killed yesterday, while his wife and 7-year-old daughter looked on, hiding in the closet. They're being entered into the program today. Now, these are high-profile people, so this is going to be a little different than usual. Basically, the uh, upper-level feds will be watching closely. Don't worry, you won't have to deal with any of their pompous asses, they'll just have access to, well, everything regarding the witnesses. Marshall, you'll be in charge of the girl, Mary, you got the wife. Any questions?" Stan looked at his Marshals expectantly.

"Yeah, I got one. Any particular reason I get the kid?" Marshall asked, not really caring, just asking to annoy Stan a little more.

"Because I said so. Do you need a better reason than that?" Stan glared.

"Nope. I'm good."

"Okay then. Your witnesses are in there. You know the drill."

"Wait. I have a question. Why are we splitting the responsibility? Marshall for the girl, me for the wife? Why do they need separate Marshals?" Mary asked, arms crossed.

"Let's just call it… extra precautions." Stan said with a shrug.

"Fair enough. Okay, let's go." Her and Marshall walked into the room where the mother and daughter were waiting to be given their new names and lives.

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**Present Day**

"Mary, Marshall, tomorrow's the Grimes trial. You'll be escorting your witnesses to California today. You know the drill. Keep them safe, transport them from place to place, and all that jazz."

Mary perked up. "Really? So this'll take like, three days?"

"Yeah, depending on how long the trial plays out. Why?" Stan asked, not used to seeing his Inspector so excited about an escort job.

"Yes! No awkward family dinner for me! Jinx insisted that as a part of her "recovery", the Shannon women should have a quiet dinner at some nice restaurant. Now I don't have to go, and I don't have to pay." Mary did a small victory dance, while Marshall watched, amused.

"Well, get ready you two. You're leaving in three hours." Stan said, rolling his eyes at Mary's antics.

"Yes, sir!" the two Marshals said sarcastically, saluting.

Stan just sighed and watched his two most immature and best Marshals walk out. He vaguely wondered if this was how fathers felt about their rambunctious children.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, I'm totally impatient to get this story out, so as soon as I got 3 reviews, I decided to post the second chapter. No real drama yet, but there's a little fluff. Next chapter after 2-3 reviews!!! Enjoy!! =] Oh yeah, and I don't own Harry Potter. [You'll see, lol]**

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"Katie, it's going to be fine. You'll only be back in California for a few days, and then it'll all be over. I promise." Marshall said softly to the little girl clinging to him.

She was afraid of going back, convinced that "the bad guys" were going to get her. Over the last three months in the program the girl had taken a liking to Marshall, and according to her mother Connie, was always asking when he was coming to visit them. Marshall, having taken a liking to Katie as well, visited more often than he had to.

Mary watched them with a small smile, then turned to look at Connie, who was gazing out the window of the plane silently.

"How you holding up?" Mary asked sympathetically.

"Oh, fine. I just want to get this over with and get back home. It's Katie I'm most worried about. But it looks like your partner's got her covered." Connie smiled, looking over to where her daughter was listening intently to whatever Marshall was saying.

Mary thought she caught something about airplanes, and she just knew that he, being the know-it-all that he was, was probably describing all the functions of a plane.

"Yeah. Usually I'm the one who gets the kids, probably because I'm a woman. But I think Marshall's better with kids. Or maybe he's just got a mean crush on your daughter."

The two women laughed, and tried to enjoy the rest of their flight.

***

"I call this room!" Katie yelled as she ran and jumped onto the bed.

"Oh, no you don't, kid! You're sharing whatever room your mom picks with her!" Marshall said, chasing after her and flopping down next to the girl.

Mary rolled her eyes, but smiled.

The safe house they were staying at wasn't very large, as if smaller meant safer, and Katie had immediately ran for the largest bedroom.

"He's right, Katie. And I already picked a different room." Connie said, walking down the hall to drop her bags in the smaller bedroom, as Mary had instructed.

It was better, she had said, for them not to take the master bedroom, because people would be more likely to think that that's where they would be.

"Aw… Oh, okay." Katie got up and followed her mother into the other room, and Mary put her bags down.

Marshall stared at her from his place on the bed.

"What?" she snapped after he had continued to stare.

"You want me to take the couch? Or do we share?" he asked simply.

Mary opened her mouth to say something sarcastic, but stopped. She hadn't thought about this part.

_Okay, pros and cons of sharing a bed with Marshall. _

_Pros: We'll both be better rested if we sleep comfortably. It'll be nice of me to not kick him out of the room. It could be kinda fun. _

_Cons: It'll be totally awkward. What if I talk in my sleep? Or worse, nocturnal flatulence? I'd die. But, there's no way he'll fit on that couch. Then he'll get no sleep, and not be at his best tomorrow. We can't have that. _

_Crap, looks like the Pro's have it. _

"Don't be ridiculous, we'll share." she said matter-of-factly, as if she hadn't just had an inner debate on the subject.

He smiled. "Okay then. I get left side of the bed!"

He laid back on his appointed side of the bed, and looked at her smugly, as if daring her to argue.

"That's fine. I always sleep on the right side, anyway." she answered honestly, ignoring the implications of their corresponding sleeping habits. Her mother had always said that you knew you had found the one when not only could you stand them for long periods of time, but they didn't have to fight you for a spot in bed.

"Okay then. It's late, I'm gonna put on my pajamas. Oh, and I call first shower in the morning!" Marshall said quickly, leaving with airplane pajamas in hand before she could argue.

"You're such a prissy little girl!" she yelled down the hallway.

He turned back, only to stick his tongue out at her before slipping into the bathroom.

Mary sighed, but chuckled. _Hanging out with that kid's bringing out the worst in him._, she thought jokingly, unable to contain her smile.

***

Later, when both Marshals were in their pajamas and the house was deemed secure, Marshall was just about to get into bed when a pair of little arms latched around his waist.

"Marshall! How can you be going to bed already? This is our first sleepover!" Katie clung to him tightly, smiling up at him.

Marshall looked down, surprised. Then he laughed. "Katie, you have a big day tomorrow, you have to get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow night we can hang out and do stuff, depending on how everything works out. Okay?"

The girl sighed, dejected. "Fine… Will you at least read me a story?"

Marshall looked over at Mary, who was grinning like a fool.

"Yeah, Marshall. Read the kid a story." Mary said slyly, knowing he was probably going to smack her later.

He narrowed his eyes at her for a second, before looking down at Katie and smiling. "Sure, okay. What story do you want?"

Katie grabbed his large hand in her smaller one and started to drag him out of the room and down the hall, saying excitedly "Ooh, Harry Potter! I have it with me in my bag! It's my favorite book ever!"

Marshall looked over his shoulder at Mary, his eyes pleading _Help me!_

Mary just laughed, and shook her head. She pulled back the covers and got into bed, snuggling into her pillow. She had just closed her eyes when Sarah's excited voice rang out in the room.

"Seriously, it's the best book in the world!"

Mary sat up, surprised. She had been expecting them to have "story time" in the other bedroom. Katie hopped on the bed, and crawled over to sit next to Mary. Marshall sat at his spot, and opened the book to the first page, shooting an amused glance at Mary.

"_Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." _Marshall began, while Katie watched and listened intently, and Mary just smiled.

Marshall got to the third chapter when Katie fell asleep. He didn't notice, and continued to read.

"_Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever,-"_

"Marshall."

"Hey, I'm reading here." Marshall said in a faux-aggravated tone.

"Yeah, but your little girlfriend's asleep." Mary said, pointing down at the little girl's head, which was resting on Mary's shoulder.

"Oh. Ha, knew that. Here, I'll take her to bed." Marshall picked Katie up gently, careful not to wake her, and took the sleeping girl and her book to the other bedroom.

Mary lied back down and sighed. Something about sitting there while Marshall read to that little girl had made her feel… funny. But good funny. She didn't know quite what to make of it. All she knew was that he'd make one hell of a dad.

Marshall came back in and shut off the light, leaving the lamp on Mary's beside table the only source of light. He got under the covers on his side, and sighed sleepily.

"She woke up for a second, and asked if we were at Hogwarts yet." he said with a low laugh.

Mary chuckled, and turned off her lamp.

"Night, Marshall." she said softly, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight Mary." Marshall mumbled, already half-asleep.

Mary's eyes snapped open at the rare use of her full first name, but instead of calling him out on it, she smiled, and let herself drift off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here 'tis! Chapter 3! There's finally drama in this one!! And yes, it's shorter than the other chapters and I'm sorry, but that's just how I do, G. lol. Enjoy! **

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The next morning was, to put it simply, chaotic.

Mary and Marshall woke up to find themselves cuddled and kind of tangled together, which was awkward to say the least.

Marshall got first shower, after Connie and Katie had already bathed, that is, and Mary got stuck with semi-warm water.

Marshall made breakfast with some supplies they had bought on the way to the safe house, and Katie almost had to take a second shower after her and Marshall had a small food-fight. Luckily Mary and Connie were able to break it up before things got too messy.

***

The drive to the courthouse was surprisingly quiet.

For once, it seemed Katie didn't feel up to joking with Marshall. Instead she just leaned on him, holding his (compared to hers) oversized hand and staring aimlessly out the window. Whether he did it as a method of comfort or subconsciously Mary didn't know, but he kept stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

Mary found it rather cute. She was almost tempted to take a picture of them. If she had a camera, that is.

She tore her gaze away from her partner and looked at Connie. The woman was pale, and had a scared gleam in her eye.

"You alright?" Mary asked, putting a gentle hand on Connie's knee.

Connie looked up quickly, surprised. "Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Stressed a bit. I really don't want to do this. But I have to, I suppose."

"You and Katie's testimonies are going to be a huge help in putting these men behind bars. Just keep telling yourself that." Mary said encouragingly.

Connie nodded.

The SUV was silent the rest of the way to the courthouse.

***

After a long spiel of boring legal mumbo-jumbo, Mary sat in a chair near the witness stand, where Connie was currently swearing over the bible. Mary didn't pay much attention to what was being said, instead she was looking at each person in the room, checking for anyone suspicious.

Her gaze passed over Marshall, sitting next to Katie and scoping out the room also. For a second their eyes met. A small smile graced her lips.

But that smile disappeared when she spotted a man at the back of the room, wearing a dark hooded sweater, and fidgeting nervously. He had a dangerous glint in his eye.

Mary lifted her wrist to speak into her mic to Marshall.

"Back of the room, left side. Black hoodie. Looks suspicious."

Before Mary got an answer back, the doors in the back of the courtroom burst open, and men dressed fully in black stood in the doorway, tossing what looked like…_grenades?_

Thankfully, they were only smoke bombs, though that was still bad. Mary ran and grabbed Connie before the smoke got too thick to see, and she could just make out Marshall picking Katie up, and making his way toward them.

The four of them, along with the other Marshals that had been in the SUV with them earlier went out the side exit.

Their objective: get back to the SUV and get the hell out of dodge.

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**You guys know the drill. No chapter 4 until I get me some reviews!! And trust me, chapter 4 will blow your mind. So start typing, lol! Anyway, I hope you liked! =]**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm serious about this no updating till I get enough reviews thing, people. I appreciate the favoriting(sp? lol) and the adding to alert lists, it makes me happy, but I really want reviews. They make me all warm inside, and help me know what I'm doing good on and what needs work. So, I'm upping the ante. There will be no chapter five.... until I get 4 reviews for THIS chapter. dun dun dun... Anyway, this chapter is like... uber action/dram filled. Enjoy!! =]**

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Mary kept a tight grip on Connie's arm as she led the woman through all the chaos in the courthouse. People were running and screaming. Alarms had started going off, making Mary's ears ring slightly. Glancing back, she could see Marshall trying to calm a crying Katie.

One of the other Marshals went outside first when they reached a side door, to make sure that there wasn't an ambush waiting. A few seconds later, he deemed it safe for them to go out.

Luckily, they were parked close to the door they had just left out of, so they were able to get to the SUV quickly. There didn't seem to be anyone in the small side alley, as far as Mary and Marshall could tell.

Mary looked over her shoulder cautiously as she pushed Katie towards the SUV. "Get in, hurry!" she said sharply.

Marshall followed the frightened girl, and Mary put a light hand on his shoulder as he climbed in. He paused for barely a second to look at her, his serious expression showing worry and fear. Not fear for himself, but for her. She had learned to recognize that look by now.

She turned and pulled Connie to the SUV by the collar, and Marshall pulled the woman inside. Mary turned to look around quickly once more before they left, to make sure they weren't being seen or followed.

She never saw it coming.

The gunshot rang out and the bullet tore into her right shoulder, the force of it causing her to spin 90 degrees on the spot. Through the pain, the only thing her brain could process was shock. Then she began to fall, but was caught by a pair of arms and pulled into the SUV.

**"Mary!"**

Was that Marshall screaming her name? She couldn't tell. It was hard to discern anything through the veil that seemed to cloak her thoughts.

As the seconds passed, the veil slowly lifted. She realized that the SUV was moving quickly, and someone was next to her, holding her waist tightly and saying her name repeatedly. As the veil lifted, so did the shock, and the full force of the pain hit her.

"Oh my god! Fucking son of a bitch, that hurts!" She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, tossed her head back onto Marshall's shoulder, and tried to breathe.

"Mary, where is it? I can't tell with all the blood. C'mon Mare, you gotta tell me where you're hit!" Marshall said frantically.

"Shoulder. Think it might be dislocated." she said through gritted teeth, still not opening her eyes.

"Let me take a look at it, I-"

"Oh god, no! Just don't, don't touch it! It hurts so damn bad!" she could feel small tears stinging her eyes, but she didn't care.

"I know, Mary. I know it hurts. But you have to let me look at it." Marshall said gently, pushing some hair out of her face.

She opened her eyes and gasped for air, before shutting them tightly again and nodding. "Fine."

She could feel him prodding, trying to get a better look, and hissed in pain.

"Sorry." he muttered, his tone desperate.

"So, what? Are you gonna put a little tube in my shoulder?" she asked, trying to laugh.

"Actually, that would probably help, but I can't get to it right now. We're sort of in the middle of a high-speed chase." Marshall said, brushing more hair out of her face.

"Aw crap." Mary groaned.

"Yeah. I don't know how they found us, I couldn't see anyone, but now they're after us." Marshall said as he poked around her shoulder.

She opened her eyes, gasped in pain and yelled "Jesus fucking Christ! How did you handle this so well?!"

Marshall chuckled bitterly. "Hey, I'm the suffer-in-silence type, remember?"

Mary didn't read too far into his words. She couldn't handle that at the moment.

Marshall quit prodding, right on time for the SUV to turn violently, throwing her back into the seat. She cried out in pain as her shoulder hit the seat, hard.

"How sure are you that it's dislocated?" Marshall asked loudly, over the sound of squealing tires behind them.

"Positive." she grunted.

"Okay, that's only going to cause more problems with the wound. You have to let me fix it."

"What? Oh hell no! This shit hurts bad enough!" she protested, attempting to move away.

He moved so that he was kneeling in front of her, and held her in place. "Mary. Mary, honey, listen to me! I know it's going to hurt. But it has to be done. Trust me on this."

She looked him in the eye, and she could tell from the anguished look on his face that he was just as reluctant about this as she was. "Fine. But quick, like a band-aid."

She shut her eyes and braced herself for the pain, but Marshall didn't do anything, seeing as another sharp turn had thrown him off balance, nearly knocking him over. God, just when she had been ready for it.

Marshall regained his balance, and braced her shoulder against the back of the seat.

"You ready?" he asked grimly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." she groaned, bracing again.

He hesitated, and just as she was about to yell obscenities at him, he crushed his lips onto hers, surprising the hell out of her. While she was still frozen in shock, he jammed her shoulder back into place.

The surprise dulled some of the pain, but it didn't stop her from screaming against his lips, which stayed firmly planted on hers, muffling her pained cries. The scream faded and became shallow breaths, and Marshall pulled away slowly, looking at her apprehensively, as if afraid she might hit him.

"Better?" he asked breathlessly.

Mary honestly wasn't sure. It still hurt like a bitch from hell, but now that her shoulder was back in place it felt… well, back in place. And that was a plus, right?

"Your methods, Dr. Mann, are unorthodox, yet effective." she joked, still attempting to breathe normally.

Marshall let out a relieved laugh, and moved back to his spot next to her.

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**Remember: 4 reviews if you want the next chapter! =]**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ha, I go to sleep at like 1 in the morning, and when I wake up at 10, there's reviews galore! Needless to say, I'm a happy camper. Thank you to everyone who reviewed!!! Here's chapter 5 for ya! And as for chapter 6? That'll be up as soon as I finish writing it, lol! Enjoy!!!**

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They were still in the middle of a chase, and the car tailing them was relentless. The Marshal driving the SUV, whose name Mary couldn't remember, tried to lose the other car, using cross-streets and taking random turns, but nothing seemed to help. It was as if they were trained for this sort of thing.

"Marshall, I'm scared!" Katie yelled from where she was crouching with her mother.

Mary looked at her in surprise, and realized with a guilty jolt that she had forgotten about their witnesses.

"I know, I am too. Just stay down." Marshall said quickly, his eyes darting all over the place, as if he were looking for some way out of this mess. His eyes met Mary's, and they just held each other's gaze a moment, communicating silently.

_The way things are going, we might not make it out of this._

Then suddenly Marshall's eyes lit up as he got an idea. "Here's a thought. How about we call the cops?"

"What?"

"We call the cops and tell them there's a car chasing us, cops chase other car and get them off our tail. That should work, right?" Marshall looked at her inquiringly, as always checking with Mary before doing anything.

"Let's just hope it does. Do it." Mary said with a wince as the SUV went over a speed bump too quickly. Connie moved as if try and help her, but Mary pushed her back down with her foot.

"Just stay down, I'll be fine." she said sharply. Now that she remembered that the witnesses were there, she forced herself to act tougher than she actually felt.

Marshall called the local police, stated the situation and gave them the other car's license plate number while Mary gritted her teeth silently, forcing herself to stay quiet.

Marshall hung up and turned to look at her worriedly. "How you holding up?"

"Just peachy." she said sarcastically, glancing back through the back window at the car behind them. What she saw made her stomach drop.

A guy on the passenger side was leaning out the window, gun in hand.

"Aw, crap. Get down, they're making this an action movie!" Marshall yelled, having looked back also when he saw the crestfallen look on her face.

He ducked down, pulling Mary with him and trying to move so that his body covered as much of hers as possible. Mary, being Mary, was about to protest when gunshots rang out and the back windshield shattered, showering glass over the back seat.

Katie screamed, and Connie huddled over her daughter, protecting her from the shards. Marshall ignored the sting of a few cuts, and was just glad that they hadn't gotten Mary.

The SUV swerved, taking a sharp turn down a mostly abandoned street, which Mary thought was pretty stupid. They were even easier targets now. As if to prove her right, more shots rang out, and from the thumps Mary could tell that they were hitting the back of the SUV.

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Mary yelled, frustrated. Marshall ran a hand over her hair, trying to calm her.

"No, really, this is just idiotic! We're in a car that weighs, what? A ton? Two tons? Wait till the fuckers are right behind us then slam on the brakes! They'll take a hella lot more damage than us."

"Mare, even if that works, they can just get out of their car and shoot us." Marshall pointed out.

"We've got a car with four Marshals, all packing at least two guns. I think we can handle it!"

"Mary, you can't shoot for shit with your left arm." Marshall said in a serious tone, only joking slightly.

"I'll manage! Marshall, the cops aren't going to get here in time if things keep going the way they are. We have to-"

More shots rang out, and one bullet whistled through the SUV, only to go through the windshield, startling the driver.

Marshall took a quick look at the car behind them. It _was_ considerably smaller than their SUV. He ran a hand through his hair, conflicted.

"Oh, fuck it. John, do what she said! Let them get right behind us, then hit the brakes, hard. Hold on, everybody!"

He looked Mary in the eye seriously, not needing words to speak. _I hope you're right about this._

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**I still can't believe I made Marshall say 'fuck'. After I re-read this, I was like: wait...what?? But I liked it, so I kept it. :P Anyway, hope you liked, I'll try to finish chapter 6 ASAP. ...Maybe reviews will inspire me? lololol. **


	6. Chapter 6

**And we're back with chapter 6! Things calm down a bit in this one. The next chapter will most likely be the last. I hope you've all enjoyed the story, and thank you all so much for the reviews! Last time I checked I had 25 for this story. I swear, I choked on my chip and almost died, but I was happy so it didn't matter! :D**

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Everyone in the back tried to move into the safest positions possible, and braced for the impact. Mary reached blindly for Marshall's hand with her good arm, and he grabbed hold of hers, squeezing it in what was supposed to be a reassuring way, but Mary could tell that he was just as scared as she was.

The loud squealing of tires was the only warning they got before they were thrust forward violently, Marshall's grip on Mary's hand tightening, and Katie screaming. Then, barely two seconds later, came the impact they had been expecting and fearing.

The sound of brakes hit too late, metal and fiberglass crushing and glass shattering filled the air until it was almost deafening. The SUV lurched forward a few feet at the impact, and the people in the back were tossed around like rag dolls. Mary hit her shoulder on the floor, hard, and had a difficult time resisting the darkness that lingered at the edges of her vision.

Marshall groaned, putting a hand to his head, which had smacked the center console. There was a little blood, but after a quick self-given test, he was satisfied that he didn't have a concussion.

Mary watched as the driver (whose name was apparently John?) turned to look back at the other car. With a grim smile he said gruffly "Oh yeah, they're out of the picture. Good idea there, Mary."

She just nodded, and focused on keeping her breathing normal and staying conscious. Sirens started ringing in the distance. Mary chuckled softly.

"The police are here." she said softly, before the blackness overtook her, and she had no choice but to give in.

Marshall shook her lightly. "Mary? Mary?! Oh god, I hope they thought to bring an ambulance with them."

He picked her up as carefully as he could and pulled her out of the slightly demolished SUV, letting Connie take care of Katie for now. He sighed in relief when he saw the ambulance coming swiftly down the street.

"Don't worry, Mare. We'll get you out of here." he said softly, not caring that she wouldn't hear him.

***

Waiting while Mary was in surgery was unbearable. Calling Stan and telling him what happened was worse. Luckily for Marshall, neither Jinx or Brandi came to the phone, so he didn't have to tell them. He wondered if they'd actually care.

Connie and Katie were back at the safe house, with other Marshals and some police keeping them safe, so Marshall was completely alone in the waiting room.

And now that he was alone and had time to think, guilt washed over him.

He should've been holding up the rear, letting them all get in before him. His job wasn't just protecting his witness, it was protecting his partner. His exotic animal. His _Mary._

Seeing her spin awkwardly after the gunshot rang out, watching the blood begin staining her clothes had been the single most terrifying moment of his life. When she began to fall, he had launched himself to the door and caught her, focused solely on getting her inside the SUV before they got another shot at her, wherever they were.

She was totally unresponsive for the next minute, and that had been almost as frightening as her getting shot in the first place. But when she finally seemed to snap out of it, cursing with flying colors, he almost wanted to laugh. He didn't know if anyone else but him had noticed, but he was crying just a little bit.

He had kind of lost himself during that ordeal. He had already been on the brink with Mary being shot, but all the chaos and fear in the SUV had pushed him over the edge, into full-on survival mode. Under normal circumstances, he never would have gone along with Mary's idea to purposely crash into the other car.

Marshall shook his head, and thought about how he had fixed her shoulder. He didn't know what it was that compelled him to just kiss her like that (well, besides the obvious reasons), but it seemed like a good idea at the time. That, and all the fear and confusion were beginning to be too much for him, and he needed an outlet. He was just glad that she didn't smack him with her good arm.

In fact, she didn't seem to have been awkward about it at all. And that was promising.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear his name the first two times.

"Huh?" He looked up to see a nurse looking at him in an amused, yet sympathetic expression.

"Mr. Mann, I just came by to tell you that Ms. Shannon is out of surgery, but she won't wake up for a few hours, maybe longer." she said with a smile.

"When can I see her?"

"She's being moved into a new room, I'll take you there now if you'd like."

Marshall nodded, and shot up quickly. He almost hugged the woman. Instead, he just followed her to a small room, where curtains were blocking his view of the bed where he knew that Mary was lying.

Just as he stepped forward to go see her, the nurse said "Mr. Mann, I really should take a look at that cut on your head. It looks like you hit it pretty hard."

Marshall turned back to look at her. "I don't have a concussion, I'm fine. Just gimme a band-aid, I can put it on myself."

In the end, the nurse won, and Marshall let her take care of him. But the very second she was done, he got up and went to Mary's bed. He paused outside the curtain/barrier, and took a deep breath. He really didn't want to see her like this.

He could just hear Mary now, telling him what a wuss he was, scared to just open a curtain. He smiled sadly, and finally pulled the curtain aside.

He looked a lot better than he expected. A part of him had imagined her still covered in blood. She was bit pale, too pale for his liking, but he knew that that was to be expected. She was bandaged and slightly bruised, but otherwise looked fine.

Relieved, he took a seat next to her bed and held her hand in both of his, reassuring himself that they were safe now, they were going to be okay. She was going to be okay.

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**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Consider yourselves hugged! =]**


	7. Chapter 7

**I lied. Next chapter's the last. Yes, I am squeezing as much out of my head as I can for this story, because I love it, and I love you guys, and a lot of you wanted more. No action, only fluff. And as for reviews? You guys are almost killing me, I'm so happy! :]**

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Mary woke up slowly, and tried to remember why the bed she was lying in didn't feel like hers. Then she wondered why she didn't feel the warmth of Marshall laying next to her.

_Wait… Why would he be…? Oh._

She remembered sharing the bed with Marshall the night before, and then remembered their witnesses. And then the floodgates opened, and all the memories of what happened that day poured over her in a rather overwhelming fashion.

_So, I'm in a hospital bed. That explains a lot. And I don't hurt because of the meds. Cool. That's all fine and dandy, but what's happening with Connie and Katie? And more importantly, where the hell is Marshall?_

Mary opened her eyes, deciding that that would probably help out in finding the answer to her second question. The hospital room, like most hospital rooms, was bland and white, almost blindingly so. But, no Marshall was to be seen. Mary panicked.

_What happened after I blacked out?_

Mary was about to push the emergency call button to get a nurse down there and demand to know what had happened, if he was hurt, when right on cue the door to her room opened to reveal Marshall, with fresh clothes and a small bandage on his head.

"Hey, you're awake! Took you long enough, it's been ten hours." Marshall said excitedly, rushing over to sit in the chair next to her bed.

"Ten hours? Then how am I still tired?" Mary asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Uh, probably because you haven't had a real vacation since…well, ever. But hey, getting shot seems like as good a reason as any. Which is why I talked Stan, who flew in a few hours ago by the way, into giving us both three weeks off. Okay, I only had to talk him into the third week. He ordered us to take the first two. Anyway, that's not important. How are you feeling?"

Mary stared at him for a second, then replied "Okay, considering. Don't feel much. My head's a little foggy. They must have some damn good meds here in Cali."

"Yeah, no kidding. You were supposed to wake up about seven hours ago, give or take." Marshall grabbed her hand in his, like he had been doing for almost all of those long ten hours, and smiled.

"And what did they give you? Happy pills? You're way too chipper." Mary replied, brows raised in a sarcastically amused way.

"I'm just glad to see you awake. After five hours, I got worried."

"Yeah… So, what happened after I passed out? How's Connie and Katie?" Now that she could see that Marshall was okay, she had to ask about the witnesses. She still felt guilty about forgetting about them momentarily in the SUV.

"They're both back at the house, they'll be transported back to Albuquerque tomorrow, seeing as the trial's been cancelled."

"What? Why would they just cancel the trial? They still have to convict those killers!" Mary was incredulous.

"There's the thing. They don't have to hold the trial. They came clean. Well, their superiors came clean for them. Anyway, they're gonna be locked up for a long, long time."

"Superiors? Would you care to elaborate?"

"Well, the bad guys, including the ones who came after us… were the "upper level feds" that were watching the case so closely. Apparently the government didn't want anyone knowing anything about all the stuff Grimes was getting himself into. I tried to get the details, but according to some guy in a bad suit and an even worse haircut it's need-to-know, and we don't."

Mary was silent for a long moment. Then, unable to do anything else, she laughed.

"What? What's so funny?"

"It's just… I mean, go figure. It's so cliché." she said shaking her head, unable to hold in her laughter.

"I agree… but I think you need to lay off the meds, Mare."

This made them both laugh, more for emotional release than real amusement.

After the laughter subsided, Mary got a serious look on her face. When she opened her mouth to speak, Marshall expected something about the case, or maybe even who was going to pay the damage and hospital bills, but instead it was something a little more personal.

"I hate to repeat myself from the past, but… What was up with that kiss?" She looked amused and serious at the same time.

Marshall mentally cringed. _So much for promising…_

"I find that it always helps to deal with something painful when one is distracted. Kinda like pulling out a loose tooth, you know?"

"One, that wasn't a loose tooth, that was my shoulder. Two, usually you say something distracting, you don't kiss the person. Tell me the truth, Marshall. That kiss wasn't just to distract me, was it?" Mary glared at him questioningly, though her eyes held no anger, only inquiry.

"No."

He said it softly and simply, looking her right in the eye. He wasn't going to lie to her. Especially not after the fear of almost losing her. Besides, she'd see right through him like she always did.

"Hmm… So does that imply that you have… feelings more than best-friendly?" She didn't look bothered by it, which was the only thing stopping Marshall from panicking.

"It does seem to imply that, yes."

"Do you?"

He knew it had been coming. That one, direct question that he had always feared answering, but knew that he couldn't lie about.

"Yes."

He thought that when he finally admitted his feelings to her, a weight would come off his shoulders. Instead, he was filled with an insane fear of what she'd have to say.

"How much more than best-friendly?" Her face still didn't show any significant reaction.

"As much more as you can get. Look, Mare, are you just going to keep asking me questions, or are you gonna state your opinion on the matter?" Marshall asked, his tone frustrated.

"Well, Marshall, I'm kind of at an impasse here." Mary looked down at their hands, which were still locked together.

"At an impasse? What? Mary, come on. I'm floundering here. Help me out." He squeezed her hand lightly, unintentionally triggering memories of their ordeal in the SUV in both of their minds.

"I want to, Marshall, but… Look, I'm scared, okay? I get the feeling that I'd only regret it later if I tell you how I feel. Not so much of what you'd say, but of what would happen." She still wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Mary, you're not making any sense."

"Well, love never makes sense, does it?"

They were both silent for a moment.

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**Uh... dun dun dun...? Anyway, next chapter is for sure the last one. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reviewing!!! :D **


	8. Chapter 8

**Last Chapter!!! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and went along this little ride of a story with me, it's been fun, lol. God, I hate to see this one end. Lots of fluff!!! Like, lots!!! Anyway, enjoy!! [Oh, and sorry for any OOCness. It's 1 a.m. right now when I'm posting this, lol.]**

* * *

"Oh shit, I just said that. Freaking meds. Okay, forget what I just said, and forget what you said. It just wouldn't work, I mean…"

"How will we know if we just don't try? Mary, we've been best friends for how long now? Years. That's longer than most relationships last. And you just used the "L" word. If that's how you're feeling, then you can't just to tell me to forget about it. How can I when it's how I feel?" He was smiling now.

"But they'll separate us. Make one of us transfer. I can't handle that." Mary finally looked at him, looking vaguely like she might cry.

"Mary. I can't speak for you, but I've felt this way for a pretty damn long time. If they haven't caught on and separated us yet, I doubt they will now."

"How long?" There was the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

"Let's see… Pretty much since the first time you told me to shut the hell up. Romantic, I know."

Mary laughed. Then she got serious again. "Marshall… You know I'm not good with serious relationships."

He nodded. "I know. And I can deal with that. We'll take this one day at a time, or whatever speed you're comfortable with. Just please don't make me go back to pretending I'm not completely ass-over-head in love with you."

"Oh wow, Marshall. That is so sweet." Mary said sarcastically.

"Well, you're not into that mushy stuff. You want me to go mushy? I can go mushy."

"No! No, that's okay."

He grinned.

"Or I could do 'ultra-cool'. You and me babe, how about it?"

Mary groaned. "Oh please, no more Dire Straits references."

Marshall laughed, and said "Okay. I'll stop torturing you, as long as you do me one favor."

"Name it." Mary said with a chuckle.

He leaned forward slightly. "Let me kiss you, and don't freak out about it."

"What? You mean you haven't gotten your fill of kissing me?"

He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Mary, that one earlier did not count. That was a distraction kiss. And as for in the barn? That was smearing lipstick. Totally different."

"Okay, you've got a point-"

"Would you shut up a moment and let me do this?" he asked impatiently, but with a smile. She closed her mouth obediently, smirking.

"Thank you." he muttered softly, rising up from his chair to lean over her more efficiently.

The hand holding hers moved up slowly to cup her face, his thumb brushing gently over a small bruise on her cheek. He leaned in smoothly, with more finesse than Mary would've expected from her geek-tastic badass of a partner, and instead of going straight for her lips like she expected him to, he placed a gentle kiss on her bruised cheek.

It was so sweet, caring and touching that for a moment she couldn't breathe.

Then his hands were in her hair, and his lips were melded to hers, making her head go foggier than any amount of pain-killers ever could.

Her good hand moved up to his shoulder, and gripped at his shirt. Besides that, all she could do in response was hope that her lips were as skilled as his. She'd had some good kissers before, but Marshall was just… _damn._

Eventually, after he had successfully reduced her IQ considerably, he pulled away and muttered against her lips "Now _that_ was a kiss."

"I couldn't agree more. And though this might seem shallow,** that** just gave me a whole new motivation to give this thing with us a try."

Marshall pretended to sulk. "I knew it! You only love me for my amazing kissing skills!"

Mary rolled her eyes and lightly thwacked the back of his head.

He just smiled at her, his blue eyes dancing playfully. She rolled her eyes once more, and muttered "Doofus.", before pulling him back down for another kiss.

She wasn't sure how she'd handle this new relationship they had started, but she figured she had a three week vacation coming up. She had plenty of time to figure things out. For now all she was concerned about was his lips, and what she had been missing out on for so long.

_**Fin.**_

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Yes, it's really over now. Thanks to all readers and reviewers! Oh, and I got the title from the song "Light Up The Sky" by Yellowcard. It's not exactly a song-fic, but I was listening to that song and "Only One" by Yellowcard a lot while writing this. Basically anything with the dramatic love story theme has been on repeat on my playlist, lol. And, just because I feel the need, I will put up the lyircs!

"Light Up The Sky" - Yellowcard

You're making a choice to live like this  
In all of the noise I am silence  
We already know how it ends tonight  
You run in the dark through a firefight  
I would explode just to save your life  
I would explode

(Chorus) Let me light up the sky  
Light it up for you  
Let me tell you why  
I would die for you  
Let me light up the sky

I can't find a wall to pin this to  
They're all coming down since I found you  
I just wanna be where you are tonight  
I'll run in the dark looking for some light  
And _**how will we know if we just don't try?**_  
We won't ever know

(Chorus)  
Let me light up the sky  
Light it up for you  
Let me make this mine  
I'll ignite for you

Let me light up the sky  
Just for you tonight  
Let me help you fly  
'Cause you won't have time  
To cover your eyes and get your disguise  
They won't ask you why, they'll just watch you die

And it's still so hard to be who you are  
So you play this part, and the show goes on  
That you come this far with a broken heart  
Yeah, you come this far and you're broken...

(Chorus)  
Let me light up the sky (Let me light up the sky)  
Light it up for you (Light it up for you)  
Let me make this mine (Let me make this mine)  
I'll ignite for you, I'll ignite for you

Let me light up the sky (Let me light up the sky)  
Light it up for you (Light it up for you)  
Let me tell you why (Let me tell you why)  
I would die for you (I would die for you)

And it's still so hard to be who you are  
But you come this far with a broken heart  
And it's still so hard to be who you are  
But you come this far and you're broken

Light up the sky  
Let me light up the sky


End file.
